Licorice Gouramis - Parosphromenus Project

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Freshwater Aquariums & Tropical Discovery
Volu me 1 • Nu mber 5 | licoric e g ou ramis • a ssa ssin snail s • ne w pike c ich lids • sunshin e pl ecos
Licorice
Gouramis
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editorial
2
I am writing these lines in the seclusion of a small
Danish island. The wind is whistling around the
house and the rain is dripping from the thatched roof
as I put together plans for the forthcoming issues of
AMAZONAS. This is just a break from home—a time
to relax and collect my thoughts—and has nothing to
do with collecting fishes. A vacation like this is a good
time to separate the important from the unimportant,
to examine yourself and what you are doing.
The main feature in this issue has been so long in
the planning that the contributors will undoubtedly be
glad to finally see the fruits of their labors in print—
and in English. Well-planned aquarium features don’t
just grow on trees. They can require long and careful
preparation, and above all a team of authors who really know their stuff.
In this issue, a number of articles on the dainty
little Licorice Gouramis of the genus Parosphromenus
have been gathered together under the auspices of acknowledged expert Dr. Peter Finke, scientific manager
of the Parosphronmenus Project. Like so many of the
fish groups that we have previously presented here,
these dwarfs are only familiar to a relatively small circle
of labyrinthfish enthusiasts. But no magic wand is required to achieve success with these fishes, and because
the habitats of many of these attractive little gouramis
are seriously endangered in their native lands, it is
high time they received a bit of publicity. The authors
who wrote these fine articles have all been intensely
involved in the study of “Paros” species for decades.
“An editor’s lot is not a happy one,” as the saying
goes, and unfortunately there is sometimes an element of truth in that. A balanced issue should always
include articles on species that have not yet played a
role—or have played only a minor one—in the aquarium hobby.
But to achieve that you have to keep your ear to
the ground. Oliver Lucanus brings us an exciting
group of newly available and very appealing Crenincichla spp. pike cichlids from the Río Uruguay, Río
Parana, and Río Iguassu drainage in Argentina, while
Maike Wilstermann-Hildebrand looks at a relatively
new invertebrate import, the so-called Fruit Snail,
Neritina juttingae, from Borneo.
It’s time for this editor and his dogs to take a walk
and stretch their legs. While we battle through the
Danish rains, you can sit in comfort and read this new
issue of AMAZONAS.
Happy reading!
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Dear Reader,
After a four-hour hike into the Peruvian
jungle, the editor rests with a group of
friendly native children. (See pages 88-89
for new Peruvian fishes.)
3
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During courtship, Licorice
Gourami males exhibit bold
markings and colors; this is a
Parosphromenus nagyi (Nagy’s
Licorice Gourami) male from the
Cherating biotope. The headdown courtship position is typical
of P. nagyi. Both sexes exhibit “sexy
eyes,” no doubt highly visible
even in the gloom of a blackwater
stream.
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blackwater fishes from “normal” species, those adapted to more typical
water parameters? The majority of fishes live in nutrient-rich water with
a neutral pH and moderate hardness. But Parosphromenus species are
quite different. The water they live in is very akin to distilled water, but
is also extremely acid and brown in color. What effects does this have
on their ecology?
Typical Licorice Gourami biotope, in Cherating, western
Malaysia. Within a short distance, this spring-fed pool
at the edge of a wood becomes a large, sometimes
fast-flowing stream. Some of the loveliest blackwater
aquarium fishes live here: rasboras, chocolate gouramis,
fightingfishes, Pangio loaches, and others. Licorice
Gouramis inhabit heavily vegetated areas with little
current in 20–40 inches (50–100 cm) of water. Unlike
most labyrinthfishes, they do not use an accessory
breathing system, so they need clean water that isn’t too
warm.
Blackwater streams
The dwarf fishes that we know as Licorice Gouramis are
thus specialized predominantly on very acid waters with a
low “germ” count, for example, blackwater streams. They
are children of the tropics, inhabiting regions with very
constant temperatures and rainfall throughout the year.
They occur on the Malayan Peninsula, in Sumatra and
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by Martin Hallmann • What distinguishes highly specialized soft- and
above: N. Neugebauer; right: m. hallmann
Why are
Licorice Gouramis
the way they are?
To understand the husbandry demands of the rare and
beautiful Licorice Gouramis, we must start with their native blackwater habitats in southeast Asia.
“Normal” water is a suitable medium for most
tropical freshwater fishes. It permits the development
of food chains consisting of bacteria, uni- and multicellular organisms, plankton, crustaceans, and insects, with
fishes and piscivorous fishes at the top of the chain. The
similarity of the surrounding chemical milieu and that of
the body cells facilitates the metabolism of the resident
life forms.
By contrast, the Parosphromenus species are specially
adapted to extremely nutrient-poor, almost sterile blackwater streams—a biotope that is hostile to life as far as
the majority of “normal fishes” are concerned. Because it
isn’t at all easy for the normal fish organism to cope with
pH values of 3 to 4 and practically distilled water, our Parosphromenus have had to develop a strategy to do so: they
glean their trace-element requirements from the small
amount of minerals in the water and eat a specialized diet
that consists almost exclusively of the juvenile stages of
the ubiquitous shrimps, which process the substrate of
leaf litter, making difficult-to-obtain nutrients available to
higher links in the food chain.
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Parosphromenus species can also live in waters with
less extreme parameters (as evidenced by their adaptability in the aquarium and the fact that they are sometimes
caught in acid clearwaters), but are undoubtedly adversely affected by competitors there. There are both directly
limiting factors and those that have an insidious effect.
The important influence of the upland moors,
swamps, and layers of peat is demonstrated by the fact
that where these natural reservoirs and water-conditioning layers are removed or drained by ditches, the blackwater is replaced by warm, stagnant, nutrient-rich water.
Widespread destruction of forests and agricultural land
use, mainly for oil-palm plantations, is systematically,
rapidly, and permanently destroying these blackwater biotopes. Unfortunately, the blackwater fishes cannot adjust.
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What effect does this specialization on the biotope described have on the appearance and behavior of Licorice
Gouramis? It is now known that the 20 or more species
of the genus are amazingly homogenous in their behavior
and requirements. They also have limited evolutive capability; these fishes are highly specialized, and tolerate only
slight alterations to their basic environmental conditions,
which have remained constant for centuries.
The blackwater stream ecological niche, with its extreme water parameters (where only a highly specialized
fish community can develop, as certain disruptive influences are excluded) and very low light levels, is relevant
to the development of extreme color patterns and the effective courtship movements of Licorice Gouramis. They
are known as extremely colorful, butterfly-like fishes with
contrast-rich patterns. Photographs typically show males
exhibiting a mood-related color pattern and displaying
their finnage. The brief moment during which the fins
are fully spread apparently produces a spectacle that is
attractive to the female.
The contrast-rich color patterns and gleaming bands,
tion. During its passage through the ground, the rainwater absorbed by the forest floor (or peat bog) is enriched
with the tannic, humic, and fulvic acids contained in
the masses of dead plant material in the soil. The result
is very soft, acid, and dark-stained water with antiseptic
properties. As we will see, this staining plays an important role.
These cool waters, which have extremely low electrical conductivity, no measurable hardness, a pH of 3 to
5.5, and a temperature between 77 and 84°F (25–29°C),
represent an ecological niche for our Licorice Gouramis.
These fishes will die at a temperature a little above 86°F
(30°C). With air temperatures typically around 104°F
(40°C), it would spell doom for the inhabitants of a
stream if the influx of cool water were to cease.
spots, or edgings are accentuated when the fish twists in
the light entering the dark water from above. The fish assumes an oblique position along the longitudinal axis so
that the vertically incident light rays are reflected by the
iridescent surfaces of the fins. Such extremely contrasting
display coloration is unnecessary in clearwater biotopes,
and could even be dangerous. But when the fish adopts a
normal, horizontal body position in the dimly lit conditions in the tangle at the bottom of a blackwater stream,
there is no light reflection and the outline of the fish is
virtually invisible to either friend or foe. Only for the brief
moment when he spreads his fins in the oblique position
does the male abandon his camouflage against predators.
Species-specific display coloration
Licorice Gouramis are superficially very similar, and most
don’t differ in size and form but only in their coloration
and fin patterns (although there are a number of exceptions). Because these differences are critical when it comes
to recognition of the correct reproductive partner, we
regard them as criteria for the differentiation of species.
The small size of these fishes, and the fact that mood-
Far left: We found Betta tussyae
(Tussy’s Fightingfish) in the same
blackwater stream, but always in
shallow pools with water flowing
through, at the shady edge of the
wood.
right: N. Neugebauer; rest: m. hallmann
Borneo, and on the islands of the Riau Archipelago. Their
distribution region includes remnants of once-extensive
natural forests, swamps, and elevated moorlands, which
are subject to the fairly constant rainfall prevalent in the
tropics throughout the year and which store the water
and then slowly give it up again, buffered to a low pH.
However, in the tropics there are also intervening
dry periods that can have a dramatic effect on aquatic
life forms. Although it sometimes doesn’t rain for many
weeks in western Malaysia, cool, clean blackwater continues to flow out of the slightly elevated woodlands. Around
Kuantan, for example, the ground is frequently covered in
a layer of peat, even near the coast. The blackwater wells
up from numerous gullies and pools among the trees,
initially creating small streams.
It is astonishing how rapidly these
streams increase in size compared to lowland rivers. The input of water from the
adjacent soil must be very large. Within a
short distance these rivulets expand to broad
streams, often becoming large rivers within
a few miles. Sea tides also play a role in the
ecology of these lowland coastal waters of
the tropics.
The deep, soft, moist forest floor,
enriched with huge amounts of organic residues, acts like a sponge, initially compensating for gaps in the rainfall. Even in the
dry season, water of largely optimal quality,
chemistry, and temperature continues to
flow. The water issuing from the forest floor
under the force of gravity is conditioned by
the shade and the cooling effect of evapora-
Water color and courtship coloration
Male Parosphromenus alfredi.
Left: Numerous predators constitute
a threat to the Licorice Gouramis,
which are not particularly well
armed or flight-efficient and for
this reason rely on cover, shadow,
and very limited movement for
protection. We caught well-fed
nandids and this large Belontia
hasselti (Malay Combtail) in the
Licorice Gourami biotopes.
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This P. quindecim male exhibits extreme
contrast in its markings and coloration. In
this species the male courts the female in
a horizontal body position, often twisting
around the longitudinal axis of the body and
pushing beneath the female.
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related coloration is displayed only when the fish is thriving, make it considerably more difficult to distinguish
the species. However, their color patterns—which relate
to the display coloration of the males—can be used to
distinguish clearly recognizable types. The species-typical
body pattern should always be considered together with
the coloration and patterning of the fins. This gives us
five basic types.
In the commonest type, the banding and margins of
the fins follow the body outline. Because of the strongly
contrasting colors and metallic effects of the markings,
the body outline appears larger and more impressive when
the fins are spread. This display coloration is exhibited
by the majority of Licorice Gouramis. All members of
the Parosphromenus harveyi (Harvey’s Licorice Gourami)
group, as well as P. allani (Allan’s Licorice Gourami) and
P. quindecim, plus the lanceolate-finned P. filamentosus
(Spiketail Licorice Gourami) and P. deissneri (“the” Licorice Gourami), exhibit this type of patterning in the fins. It
is combined with striking white and blue to black and turquoise ventral fins and longitudinal striping of the body,
similar to that seen in pencilfishes (Nannostomus). P.
nagyi (Nagy’s Licorice Gourami) is an exception. The uniform red-brown fin color and striking white fin margins in
P. anjunganensis (Anjungan Licorice Gourami) probably
represent a reduced variant of the submarginal band.
There are also other types of pattern, such as the
“starry sky” in the fins of P. linkei. This is also seen, in reduced form, in P. pahuensis, in combination with lateral
spots (ocelli) like those seen in Betta coccina.
The two members of the Parosphromenus parvulus
group exhibit a simple, light-dark contrast on the body
(no striping, just divided in two), with broad and extremely reflective white margins in the unpaired fins with
contrasting black and red. These are the only two species
in which the ventral fins are unimportant in communicating with conspecifics. The ventral fins of almost all
other Licorice Gouramis are intensely colored and are
displayed by spreading them apart from one another, but
those of P. ornaticauda (Redtail Licorice Gourami) and P.
parvulus are small and transparent.
Then there are the more plainly colored Licorice
Gouramis, such as Parosphromenus paludicola (Swamp Licorice Gourami). The males of this species, and to a lesser
extent the females as well, exhibit flank spots and pastel
turquoise and red-violet reflective markings in the fins.
Finally, in Parosphromenus sumatranus (Sumatra or
Fire-Red Licorice Gourami), practically the only marking
apart from the irregular, low-contrast patterning in the
unpaired fins is a striking ocellus on the dorsal fin. The
essentially transparent ventral fins exhibit a dark-line
marking that ends in the filament.
oration, but also making sudden passes above and below
the female. The details of this behavior vary in accordance
with the groups mentioned above, and may be useful in
undertaking the systematic separation of species.
We recognize head-up courters (Parosphromenus
sumatranus, P. parvulus, and P. ornaticauda) and headdown courters or horizontal courters (the majority of
the others). The head-up display is seen in males of the
P. parvulus group and both sexes of P. sumatranus. All
members of the P. harveyi group display head-down, and
P. quindecim, P. linkei, P. paludicola, and P. filamentosus in
a normal, horizontal swimming position.
Mood-related color patterns are a lot less striking in
females, but close observation shows that they exhibit
interesting differences. In almost all species, female coloration during courtship is characterized by the striping
becoming paler and by the appearance of a black vertical
bar through the eye (so-called “sexy eyes”). This marking
is also seen in males in the corresponding mood. However, in the “odd men out,” Parosphromenus parvulus and
P. ornaticauda, neither sex ever exhibits sexy eyes, and the
females display a contrast-rich, light-dark body coloration during spawning. Even the red flame of the caudal
fin is then visible in P. ornaticauda females, making them
look very similar to the males.
In addition to the species-specific markings and coloration, there are other ways of determining the species.
All species with a lanceolate caudal fin often exhibit
a typical backward and forward jerking with fins spread,
but to the best of my knowledge, all other forms remain
at rest in the water. A further striking species-typical and
Head-standing and “sexy eyes”
And now we find ourselves in the middle of those confusing color features that are only intermittently displayed.
These are inseparably interwoven with specific modes of
behavior and situations.
We have already outlined the dramatic courtship
display of the male, who seeks to present himself to the
female literally in the best light. This courtship includes
not only fin-spreading and maximum expression of col-
apparently unique behavior is the courtship dance of
P. ornaticauda. (The sibling species P. parvulus exhibits
this in a very dilute form.) During courtship the male
flits around the female in an erratic circular or zigzag
pattern. An example of as-yet-unexplained behavior is
the up-and-down rocking of the body, with the back
straightened and the eye representing the pivot, seen in
all courting Licorice Gouramis of the Parosphromenus
harveyi group.
Habitat specialists
Obviously the courtship, the enticing of the female to a
pit dug in the substrate, the ritualized spawning, and the
almost overbearing brood care by the male for 10 days
are all part of the successful “Licorice Gouramis in the
blackwater stream” model. And the paucity of movement
on the part of the few, but relatively large, fry (there are
hardly any microorganisms suitable for first foods for
small fry in the sterile environment) ensures that enough
young fishes grow to maturity.
The seeking out of suitable habitats and the subsequent sedentary nature of these fishes are striking.
Licorice Gouramis are never found en masse in their native
waters, but they may occur in large numbers together with
shrimps in suitable places, such as beneath overhanging
turf or among the masses of small roots in holes in the
bank beneath trees. Some have documented the colonization of current-poor bank areas on the insides of bends in
streams. In practice, the fact that Licorice Gouramis settle
only in certain spots in the stream means that different
collectors working in the same body of water may have
Parosphromenus sp. “Langgam” is a very lovely
species, not yet scientifically described.
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m. hallmann
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Unlike almost all other Licorice Gouramis except P. parvulus
(Cherry-Spotted Licorice Gourami), P. ornaticauda doesn’t
use reflected sunlight but light shining through from above. By
approaching the female from above and simultaneously angling
his body, he causes the very broad white fin edgings to
gleam brilliantly.
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widely different results. In the course of time one develops an eye for it, and
sometimes luck plays a part.
Somehow these very dainty little fishes are able to hold their own among
other, much more robust-looking species. By analyzing the environment in
great detail during a number of trips to the tropics, I have established that
they are neither able to defend themselves nor adept at flight. Their strategy is
to “creep” along close to the food-rich substrate with minimal movement, no
noticeable aggression or strong territoriality, little in the way of striking coloration except during courtship, and reliable and highly effective brood care.
Licorice Gouramis have also abandoned the use of the labyrinth (an accessory respiratory organ that labyrinthfishes use to take in atmospheric oxygen). They are independent of the water’s surface, but require cool, oxygenrich (flowing and clean) water. Overall, the strategy is advantageous in this
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I find the rigidity of the ritualized behavioral patterns noteworthy. They appear
to have evolved over a very long period of time and are not easy to change.
Licorice Gouramis are highly specialized, and therefore not very adaptable.
Unfortunately, this means they are demanding both in the aquarium and in
the wild.
The severe and fundamental encroachment of humans on a highly specialized ecological niche can be repaired only with difficulty. Such encroachment is destructive of endemics, initially locally and later generally. The loss
of Licorice Gouramis is a great shame, but it is one of the smaller problems of
mankind. We humans are, however, able to react when we become aware, and
the Parosphromenus Project is such a reaction.
Every life form, every species is a response to a habitat. Looked at logically, the effects of physical size and the influence of biological parameters, such
as food organisms, competitors, and predators, are too important to have
random consequences. The result is numerous inventions of evolution, usually inconspicuous, but also very complex and sometimes fantastic-looking.
The occupation of ecological niches, the development of display coloration,
and the special modes of behavior in Licorice Gouramis are examples of this.
As aquarists we can and must learn lessons from this if we want to maintain
Licorice Gouramis correctly, breed them, and preserve them.
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The Parosphromenus linkei (Linke’s Licorice
Gourami) shown here is using reflected light
from above, as well as light shining through,
to display his “starry sky” courtship
coloration and iridescent lateral
ocellus. This photo shows
the sort of contortions the
fish performs in order to
achieve the maximum
effect.
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m. hallmann
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article and images by Horst Linke • Licorice Gouramis are very
special fishes, but they can be quite challenging to keep in the
aquarium. Information on their natural habitat is indispensable in order to provide them with optimal living conditions in
the aquarium. How do these fishes live in the wild? What niche
biotopes do they occupy? What water parameters occur in their
natural habitat, and can we replicate those conditions so we
can keep Licorice Gouramis in our aquariums?
28
in Licorice
Gourami
biotopes
Above: Around 2 miles (3 km) from
the village of Kurau we investigated
a large blackwater swamp area that
is fed by and drains into a small river.
Parosphromenus deissneri (Licorice
Gourami) lives here among dense
marginal vegetation.
Above right: In this small river
about 2 miles (3 km) from Kurau,
we found numerous P. deissneri.
Left: Two male P. deissneri in
the aquarium, in normal coloration.
Note the elongated hard ray in
the center of the lanceolate
caudal fin.
Blackwater biotopes
All the known Licorice Gouramis of the genus Parosphromenus live in stained
blackwaters. Note, however, that blackwaters aren’t really black, but a dark
red-brown color, produced in part by peat-like materials but mainly by the decomposing leaves of trees and scrub that grow close to the banks. These dead
leaves accumulate in multiple thick layers and release numerous substances,
especially humic substances, which prevent any noteworthy population of
bacteria in the water. These substances are very important to the health and
well-being of the resident fishes, and often even essential for their survival.
The staining of the water can be particularly strong during the rainy
season or after a heavy rainfall, as the runoff percolates through the layers
of leaf litter and peat and washes large amounts of humic substances into
the rivers. However, despite the variation in color, the water parameters alter
only slightly during these seasonal changes; the water is always very soft and
mineral-poor, very clean, and very acid, with a carbonate hardness that is
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Traveling
The fact that I have been a devoted fan of the colorful little Parosphromenus
species for many years has been reason enough for me to carefully investigate
their distribution regions during my travels. In recent years I have been able to
find around 20 of the roughly 30 different species, both described and undescribed scientifically, and study their habitats.
29
Right: Deissner’s Licorice Gourami, Parosphromenus deissneri,
from the area north of Kurau. These fishes exhibit impressive
coloration and markings, particularly when displaying. They are
among the most beautiful Licorice Gouramis.
Below, left: The research site at Kepayang on Belitung.
The water here was only slightly brownish after a
heavy rainfall. This was the habitat of
Parosphromenus sp. “Belitung”, a rarely
seen Licorice Gourami species.
Below, right: In large parts of
Kalimantan, the rainforest has
given way to a low-lying scrub
landscape. Due to increased
exposure to the sun, the
water temperature in these
areas tends to be elevated.
Parosphromenus deissneri on Bangka
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site lay around 2 miles (3 km) from the village of Kurau,
17 miles (27 km) south of Pangkalpinang, the island’s
capital, heading in the direction of Toboali. It was a small
blackwater stream with little current, with some wider
sections and links to large swampy areas on either side
of the road; it flowed through dense scrub at this point.
The water here was “deep black,” a dark red-brown. The
visibility was less than 20 inches (50 cm) and the water
was clear. The pH was 4.72 and the electrical conductivity measured 4 µS/cm at a water temperature of 80.5°F
(27.0°C). The water in the bank zones was 32–40 inches
(80–100 cm) deep and easily negotiable. There was a
dense growth of plants, sometimes emerse, that formed
thick clumps in places, and a gentle current prevented
the water from stagnating among this vegetation. We
found mainly Parosphromenus deissneri in this habitat.
The population density was amazingly high.
Another site we investigated was likewise situated in
the eastern part of the island, but this time north of the
road from Sungailiat to Puding Besar. This
was a small stream, only around 40 inches
(1 m) wide, that issued from an area of
woodland, flowed parallel to the road for
a short distance, and then crossed it. This,
too, was a dark blackwater, with a temperature of 81.7°F (27.6°C), a pH of 4.84,
and an electrical conductivity of 8 µS/cm.
The water was very clear and had a slight
current. The water depth was 16 inches (40
cm) on average. Parosphromenus deissneri
was particularly numerous in small areas
of low current among the plants. Here, too,
the population density was high, and all the
fishes were in good physical condition. Dur-
ing the time of our visit there was repeated heavy rainfall,
and hence the water was in motion.
Parosphromenus deissneri is endemic to the island of
Bangka, and its distribution on the island probably covers
an area around 44 miles (70 km) in diameter. Its purported occurrence on the neighboring island of Belitung
to the east has not yet been confirmed. However, Belitung
is home to one or possibly even two species of the genus
Parosphromenus.
My research revealed that Parosphromenus deissneri is
exclusively a blackwater dweller, so in the aquarium these
fishes should be maintained only in water with plenty of
humic substances (that is, peat) added to approximate
their natural habitat.
Undescribed Licorice Gouramis on Belitung
During our travels on the island of Belitung we were
able to find Licorice Gouramis in several places, but we
were of the opinion that they were all one species. These
fishes, too, were living in blackwater biotopes, albeit of a
less extreme type but nevertheless containing water with
a pH in the acid range. As an example, I will discuss a
site at Kepayang, on the road from Tanjungpandan, the
largest town on Belitung, to Kuala Kampit in the east of
the island. This was a watercourse around 10 feet (3 m)
wide, up to 16.5 feet (5 m) in places, flowing through a
scrub and woodland landscape and shaded almost everywhere. At the time of our research (September) the water
here was only slightly brownish following heavy rainfall during the night. The pH was “only” 5.59 and the
conductivity measured 9 µS/cm at a water temperature of
77.4°F (25.2°C). The water had a slight to moderate current and averaged 28 inches (70 cm) deep. The Licorice
Gouramis were found among overhanging branches and
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The Licorice Gourami best known by name is undoubtedly Parosphromenus deissneri, although until recently its
actual appearance was unknown to many aquarists because other forms were being sold under the same name.
Adult males of this species have a lanceolate caudal fin
with a prolonged fin ray at its center. They exhibit a strik-
ing gray, but no red in the otherwise black fins with no
edgings. During display, however, red longitudinal bands
appear on the body between the typical dark stripes.
For many decades the name Parosphromenus deissneri
was used as a catchall for all Licorice Gouramis that
couldn’t be identified for certain, and by some for all
Licorice Gouramis, regardless of their appearance. Some
in the trade continue this practice even today. But the
natural habitat of this species is the small Indonesian
island of Bangka off the southeast coast of Sumatra,
well away from the main collecting areas for Licorice
Gouramis. I last visited this island at the beginning of
September 2008, during an expedition by the EAC/AKL
(the German labyrinthfish association). Unfortunately,
the Bangka landscape is being taken over by oil-palm
plantations, and the habitats of many wild creatures are
becoming severely limited.
Parosphromenus deissneri is found mainly in the
northern and eastern parts of the island. Our first study
O. Pedersen
barely measurable.
It can also happen, though, that the water color becomes temporarily lighter following very heavy rainfall if
the runoff doesn’t percolate through peat-like material. It
is then only weakly brownish, and as the result of minerals being washed in the pH may rise briefly from below
pH 4 to slightly more than pH 5. However, the rest of the
water parameters usually remain unchanged.
To aid would-be Parosphromenus keepers, here are a
number of examples of the natural habitats that I have
visited at a variety of seasons over the course of the years.
Driving the roads between Palangkaraya to Buntok is quite an adventure. If you
want to find Parosphromenus here, you have to negotiate difficult rainforest tracks
and cross two large rivers, the Sungai Kapuas and the Sungai Berito. Sometimes
the only way to cross a river is on a primitive car ferry like this one.
31
Left, top: The population density of
Parosphromenus parvulus is very high at
the edges of the forested areas that remain
between the large rivers Kapuas and Berito.
Left, bottom: Male Parosphromenus
parvulus in display coloration. At this time
the color and markings of these fish are
noticeably different from those of all other
Parosphromenus species.
Right: Displaying male
Parosphromenus
sp. “Belitung” in full color.
Bottom, left: Numerous fish species, including P. parvulus,
can often be found in pools of water only 4–8 inches (10–20 cm)
deep and in water-filled ditches along the rainforest tracks.
only faintly brownish in color after
heavy rainfall. The pH was 5.03 and
the conductivity 8 µS/cm at a water
temperature of 77.5°F (25.3°C).
These Licorice Gouramis exhibited no parallels with Parosphromenus
deissneri in their appearance, and
their coloration was more like that of
one of the P. bintan group. It should
nevertheless be noted that male fishes
from Belitung lack any blue in their
display coloration. Apart from a faint
turquoise stripe pattern on the fins,
they exhibit a bold black body coloration. On the basis of study of other
groups in July, it is thought that these
Parosphromenus live predominantly
in less acid water and hence may be
less problematical to maintain in
the aquarium. The species is thought
to have only a small distribution on
Belitung, with a diameter of 31 miles
(50 km) and getting smaller due to
increased clear-cutting for plantations.
32
aquatic plants, mainly along the margins where the current was weak, and in small bays. The substrate consisted
of light sand like that in the biotopes on Bangka, and in
places was covered in dead, black leaves.
We also caught the same Parosphromenus species during our investigation of a woodland region between Bantan and Pelulusan in the south of the island of Belitung,
where they were living in a small stream in almost complete darkness due to the close-packed trees. The stream
was only about 6.5 feet (2 m) wide and up to 2 feet (60
cm) deep; the current was moderate and the water was
Parosphromenus parvulus, the RedSpotted Pygmy Licorice Gourami,
was described by Vierke in 1979 and
is one of the smallest of
the genus, but surprisingly, it is thought to have
the largest distribution region of the Parosphromenus species. Parosphromenus parvulus lives
in the blackwater rivers of southern Borneo.
Its natural habitat is in the Indonesian part
of the island and is believed to be restricted to
the province of Kalimantan Tengah.
Edith Korthaus and Walter Foersch first
caught these little Licorice Gouramis in 1978
in Palangan in the west of the huge province,
where we also recorded this species in 1990.
But during my own travels in 2009 I netted
fishes of this species between the Kapuas and Berito Rivers, as well as to the east of Buntok in the eastern part of
Kalimantan Tengah. The species is thus distributed from
Palangan via Pundu, Tangkiling, and Babugus to Buntok,
an area around 310 miles (500 km) in diameter, the
largest distribution known to date for any Parosphromenus
species.
These fishes always live in blackwaters with slight
current. They are found in the richly vegetated marginal zones of smaller rivers, as well as in small streams,
swamp regions, shallow vegetated residual pools, and
ditches along rainforest tracks. The most westerly occurrence known to me is the so-called Planduk (deer stream)
of Korthaus and Foersch, on a tributary of the Sungai
(River) Sampit at the edge of the village of Palangan.
In July 1990 we found Parosphromenus parvulus in this
stream, along with Betta foerschi (Chameleon Betta) and
other species. The stream was also home to a second species of Parosphromenus, so far not described scientifically,
which is currently termed Parosphromenus sp. “Palangan” and has rarely been imported. The stream was only
around 6.5 feet (2 m) wide, up to 10 feet (3 m) in places,
with a slight current and water that was dark red-brown
in color. It was very mineral-poor and had a pH of 4.6
with a conductivity of 18 µS/cm and a water temperature
of 76°F (24.5°C). The Licorice Gouramis were found
almost exclusively in the sometimes densely vegetated
marginal zones, and were not very numerous at this site.
The stream followed the edge of a cultivated woodland
area and flowed past rubber plantations.
Some two years previously, in August 1988, we had
caught Parosphromenus parvulus around 155 miles (250
km) to the east in the Tangkiling area, some 18 miles
(29 km) north of Palangkaraya. The site was a small
river with strongly red-brown, slightly flowing water. The
shallow bank zones were vegetated with dense clumps
of plants. The water was very clear and mineral-poor;
carbonate and general hardness were both less than 1
degree (German), the pH was 4.1, and the conductivity
measured 28 µS/cm at a water temperature of 82.8°F
(28.2°C) in the shallow marginal zones and 78°F
(25.5°C) at a depth of 20 inches (50 cm).
Parosphromenus parvulus was living syntopic (sharing
a habitat) here with two species of Chocolate Gourami,
Sphaerichthys selatanensis and Sphaerichthys acrostoma, but
there was no second Licorice Gourami species at this site.
The rainforest here had already given way to a low-growing brush landscape on both sides of the road. Around
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Parosphromenus in
Kalimantan Tengah
Bottom, right: A large percentage of the watercourses in Kalimantan
Tengah are blackwater biotopes. They are the habitat of numerous very
interesting fishes popular in the aquarium hobby.
33
Bank zones in blackwater biotopes
are among the preferred haunts of
Parosphromenus species. The water here is
always slow-flowing and very mineral-poor.
necessary to tackle sometimes difficultto-negotiate rainforest tracks and cross
two large rivers, the Sungai Kapuas and
the Sungai Berito. In 2009 there were
still small, primitive car ferries across
both rivers, but large bridges were under
construction.
Once they are completed it is likely
that the majority of this region will be
transformed into plantations, resulting
in the loss of further large tracts of forest
and perhaps the disappearance of the
small, water-filled ditches, usually only
4–8 inches (10–20 cm) deep, along the
tracks.
Successful maintenance
20 years later, during our visit in June 2007, the area
had changed completely, but we were still able to find
Parosphromenus parvulus in the Tangkiling area. Large rivers and small streams, sometimes with associated swamp
regions, can still be found in this area today.
The most easterly occurrence we investigated was an
area of blackwater swamp by the road from Buntok to
Ampah, about 155 miles (250 km) east of Tangkiling/
Palangkaraya. Here Parosphromenus parvulus was living
syntopic with Parosphromenus filamentosus. The clear, gently flowing blackwater had a pH of 3.7 and a conductivity
of 20 µS/cm. The water temperature was 84.7°F (29.3°C)
in the shallow areas exposed to the sun. The water was
heavily stained dark red-brown, indicating that the humic
substances content was very high and the bacterial density
very low. During our research in June 2009, the population density of Parosphromenus parvulus was still high.
In order to reach Buntok from Palangkaraya, it is
Biotope information and the remarks at the beginning of
this article are very important as a basis for the successful
maintenance of Licorice Gouramis in the aquarium.
The above-mentioned sample habitats of a number of
Licorice Gourami species from Indonesia are not identical in every detail to the habitats of other species, but are
representative of most of them. Awareness of their most
important characteristics is necessary for the keeping
and breeding of these fishes in the aquarium. They also
convey a picture of the changes to which many of these
habitats are currently being subjected.
Extremely soft water, the complete absence of carbonates, and the huge importance of humic substances
are three fundamental elements of Licorice Gourami biotopes, but in many places these are being greatly limited
and devalued by changes in land use. I strongly feel that
we can and must preserve in the aquarium that which is
present in ever-decreasing quantities in the wild.
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Why are almost all Parosphromenus in the trade labeled “deissneri”?
34
Parosphromenus deissneri was the first Licorice Gourami
species to be described, as long ago as 1859. For almost
100 years it was thought to be the only Parosphromenus
species, although fishes that looked different were sometimes found at a wide variety of places. Even today the
name is still in popular use, but hardly anyone is familiar
with the fish to which it actually belongs. Until recently
the true Parosphromenus deissneri, endemic to the island
of Bangka, had never turned up in the trade, although
almost all species sold are known by this name. Why?
The reason is that two species occur on Bangka, and
the second, which we now know as Parosphromenus bintan, has a much wider distribution. It is easy to distinguish
the two species by the difference in the structure of the
caudal fin in males, but the over-100-year-old type specimen of Parosphromenus deissneri was a female that was so
damaged that this character could no longer be checked.
For this reason the much more widely distributed fish
was for many years thought to be P. deissneri, plus almost
none of the finds during that 100 years originated from
Bangka.
The situation wasn’t clarified until 1998, when it
finally became clear that the genus contained multiple
species. An officially sanctioned re-description was
published and a so-called neotype designated, but many
people still haven’t changed their ways. Even today it is
a pretty safe bet that the fishes labeled P. deissneri in the
trade are not that species at all. But the lesson is being
learned, and recently exporters and importers have been
making the effort to apply the correct names to the fishes
they supply.
—Peter Finke
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35
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Breeding
Licorice Gouramis
Male
Parosphromenus
ornaticauda
(Ornate Licorice
Gourami) in
display coloration
in front of the
spawning cave.
article and images by Günter Kopic • Breeding Licorice Gouramis requires following certain protocols, but with a little effort any conscientious aquarist can succeed. Günter Kopic, who has been keeping and breeding Parosphromenus species,
the genus known as Paro, for more than 25 years, tells us how he does it.
I was still a boy when I started keeping my first fishes, including labyrinthfishes such as the
Dwarf Croaking Gourami, Trichopsis pumila. As a married adult still without a permanent home,
I found my desire to have an aquarium was reawakened. My wife had no objection, so in 1984 I
set up my new aquarium. I still had the old angle-iron tank from my boyhood, but I didn’t want
to put it in the living area, so the cellar of our rented apartment became my fish room.
The aquariums proliferated fairly quickly. Because of the limited size of the cellar they were
mostly smaller affairs. I had an increasing desire to keep killifishes, but this was virtually impossible because they were so hard to find. An unconventional dealer tried to obtain some for me,
but what I actually received were Brown Spike-Tailed Paradise Fish (Pseudosphromenus dayi) and
Peaceful Bettas (Betta imbellis). My interest in labyrinthfishes continued to grow, and I joined the
IGL (International Labyrinthfish Association). I purchased my first Licorice Gouramis, six young
Parosphromenus nagyi, at my very first IGL meeting in October 1986. A good six months and a
new tank later, they spawned and the first young Nagyi’s Licorice Gouramis were soon swimming in my tanks. I was infected with the Paro virus. When we built our own house five years
later, I planned the cellar fish room well in advance, specifically designing it for the maintenance
and breeding of Parosphromenus species.
36
I have found that a 5-gallon (20-L) aquarium is suitable for maintenance and breeding. The
shelves of my racks are 16 inches (40.6 cm) wide, so I place the tanks end-out. In addition to
the space-saving aspect—more aquariums can be fitted in side by side—I have found that Licorice
Gouramis, which are rather shy, can be seen more easily using this arrangement. I think this is
immediately, but only after 7–14 days of monitoring the
water parameters.
Live food
Availability of a suitable food supply is a further prerequisite for the keeping and breeding of Licorice Gouramis.
Only in the rarest of cases will they accept prepared foods
such as flake or granules. Occasionally individual fishes
can be persuaded to eat suitably fine frozen or dry foods,
Top: Pair of P. ornaticauda spawning. In this species the male closes
the embrace with his tail.
Bottom: As in many species, the female P. ornaticauda attaches
her eggs to the ceiling of the cave (a half flowerpot); the male
often assists her. In most species the female becomes much paler
during the spawning phase, but in this species she colors up like the
male—light above, dark below.
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Small aquariums
because a larger flight distance is available. Hence I have
been able to observe the majority of spawnings, which
take place in the caves nearest the front.
The setup of my aquariums is spartan. Two or three
homemade caves (half flowerpots), a small air-powered
internal filter containing two fine-pored foam inserts
with peat granules sandwiched in between, and a small
piece of slate to hold the filter in place are sufficient
for Licorice Gouramis. The cave ceiling shouldn’t rise
toward the front, because if the fish construct
a bubblenest it could slip out. Dark substrate
and/or beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica) can be
used as décor, but aren’t necessary and may
sometimes even hinder effective breeding. It is
important to have a tight-fitting cover glass, as
Licorice Gouramis are very good at jumping.
The lighting is less important, but shouldn’t be
too bright.
Larger aquariums are required for rearing
only if the number of fry is high. In most cases
the brood can be left in the breeding tank up to
a size of .5 inch (1.27 cm), providing they are
fed accordingly.
I always try to move my Licorice Gouramis to newly set-up aquariums at intervals of
around three months. Usually a water change
isn’t necessary for that period of time. Larger,
fully decorated aquariums are suitable for keeping groups of Licorice Gouramis. There will always be a number of young maturing, provided
there are no other fishes present.
For many species, soft, slightly acid water
will suffice for maintenance, but when it comes
to breeding Licorice Gouramis the water parameters are especially important. In my experience they must be very close to the parameters
in their natural habitat, especially when dealing
with wild-caught fishes or the first tank-bred
generations. For example, in 1988 I was maintaining a form from the Parosphromenus bintan
group, sold in those days as P. deissneri “Red”,
which didn’t spawn unless the pH was less
than 3. The subsequent tank-bred generations
weren’t as demanding.
Luckily, I have access to spring water for my
Parosphromenus. The conductivity is between
85 and 115 µS/cm and the carbonate hardness
less than 0.01°dKH, while the pH is 6.5 at the
spring and 7.0 after being left to stand. The pH
can then be adjusted to the range required for breeding
the Licorice Gouramis via the quantity and quality of
the peat granules used. Because carbonate hardness is
virtually non-existent, it may even be possible to lower
the pH below that of the peat granules. De-ionized or
reverse-osmosis water makes a suitable alternative. Newly
set-up aquariums shouldn’t be populated with fishes
37
Left: Pair of true P. deissneri (Licorice Gourami) spawning in the
cave. I have found these fishes to be rather shy.
Right: In P. deissneri the spawning embrace isn’t closed by the
male’s tail. The eggs can be seen emerging from the female.
Pair of P. linkei (Linke’s Licorice Gourami) beneath the bubblenest.
The photo clearly shows the dark bars through the “sexy eyes.”
Usually the pair sink during the “paralysis” that follows a spawning
pass. Only rarely do they float upward, as this male P. linkei is doing.
Pair of P. linkei collecting the eggs after a successful spawning pass.
Male P. linkei guarding the not-yet-free-swimming larvae. The
brood comprises about 50 young.
38
(Editor: Nano fish importer and breeder Rachel
O’Leary says that she augments live foods with very high
quality fine and crushed rations with newly arrived wild
fish. “I fed them live white worms initially, but now they
are eating crushed flake and Repashy Shrimp Souffle as
well as Xtreme Catfish Scrapers—those pellets are like
crack for fish.”)
However, you must be prepared for the fact that the
long-term maintenance and breeding of these fishes may
require the virtually permanent availability of mouth-size
live foods.
Fortunately, the cysts (“eggs”) of Artemia species
provide us with a food that is available year-round and
Natural breeding
And now we come to the most important part—the
breeding itself. Only in the rarest of cases is it possible
to select broodstock specially. Usually you have to start
with the few specimens you have managed to obtain. The
Above: A trade form of P. anjunganensis. As this photo shows,
during the spawning phase, the female turns pale and her stripe
pattern almost disappears.
Below, left: This gorgeous Licorice Gourami male originated from
an import consignment and is very probably Parosphromenus
allani.
Below, right: The stripe pattern of the female also fades in
P. cf. tweediei (also known as P. sp. “Pontian”) during the
spawning phase.
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such as CYCLOP-EEZE.
easy to handle. Depending on the size of the fry, Artemia
nauplii are usually an excellent and easily regulated rearing food. In my view, long-term maintenance and breeding are possible using Artemia nauplii, but it is better to
improve the menu with assorted other food organisms.
One can, for example, resort to culturing various food
organisms such as Moina, Grindal worms and microworms, and vinegar eels. I usually have the last two of
these available. In general, springtails (order Collembola)
and fruit flies (Drosophila) are less suitable as foods
because they remain at the surface.
Obviously, “pond foods” are very suitable for Licorice
Gouramis, provided relevant conditions are met. In addition to suitable bodies of water at a convenient distance,
legal restrictions, and the seasons of the year, you must
consider quality and quantity. Try to find minimally polluted waters that contain the correct size of food organisms and no fishes.
bottom right: H.-G. Evers
Clockwise from top left:
more harmoniously the pairs put down to breed behave,
the easier breeding them will be. Ideally, you should buy
six to eight half-grown juveniles and let them mature together. Assuming both sexes are present, loose pairs will
form at the onset of sexual maturity. These pairs should
then be used for subsequent breeding attempts.
But most Parosphromenus species don’t spawn on
command. Sometimes you wait in vain for courtship,
pairing, spawning, and fry. Even if these hurdles can be
surmounted, breeding may still founder on a variety of
factors. For example, a poor fertilization rate in young
and, above all, older pairs often results in the male eating
all the eggs after one to three days, even if a number
of eggs were developing. I once obtained a pair of Parosphromenus nagyi around four years old; they spawned
regularly, but the eggs always disappeared after three
days at most. So I removed a complete clutch—with
some 150 eggs, it was the largest Parosphromenus clutch
I had ever had—and incubated it artificially. After a
short time I had around 50 free-swimming Parosphromenus nagyi fry.
Another reason for failure is egg-eating parents,
39
Where can I buy Licorice Gouramis?
Licorice Gouramis are rarely available in the aquarium
trade. And when they are, they are almost invariably wildcaught specimens from the previous breeding season.
Try to buy healthy specimens: not emaciated, no external signs of disease, no clamped fins. Perhaps they like
to hide or their colors are faint, but that is quite normal.
Don’t worry too much about the name under which they
are being sold—it will often be incorrect. It is more important that both sexes are present. All specimens with a
hint of colored banding in the unpaired fins will be male.
Above, left: These Licorice Gouramis from the Bintan group were
imported by Aquarium Glaser.
Right: Male Parosphromenus cf. bintan courting his female. The
“sexy eyes” with black eye bars indicate that both are ready to
spawn.
though this is relatively rare. More often, the parent fishes
regard the free-swimming fry as food and hardly any young
grow on. For this and other reasons, I usually transfer the
parents to another aquarium shortly before the fry become
free-swimming. The best time to do this is when the larvae
are positioned horizontally on the ceiling of the cave.
Artificial breeding
40
Right: Several
geographical
variants of P. nagyi
(Nagy’s Licorice
Gourami) are
known, but they
differ only slightly.
This adult pair are
tank-breds from
parent stock from
the collecting
site “Mersing
Kluang 16/314"
in Malaysia. Egg
counts of more
than 100 are
possible in this
case.
Left: The circling of the pair and their
spawning passes often cause previously
attached eggs to detach from the ceiling of
the cave. Plenty of pairings are unsuccessful
on the first attempt.
Below: These gorgeous fishes were imported
as P. sp. “Pontian”. They are very probably
Parosphromenus tweediei.
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I always prefer the relatively natural method of breeding described above to artificial incubation of the eggs.
Only when natural methods don’t work and I have no
other adults available do I remove one or more clutches.
The method and equipment I use for artificial hatching
originate from Jakob Geck, and I have adapted them very
little. A stock solution of 1 gram Trypaflavin (Acriflavin)
to 1 liter distilled water is an important aid. Warning:
this anti-bacterial remedy will kill plants.
When removing clutches I carefully transfer the eggs
underwater into plastic bowls containing about 6.75
ounces (200 ml) of water, to which I add 0.01 ounces
(0.3 ml) of the Trypaflavin solution. I remove one or
two dead eggs from the bowls every day. After hatching I
carefully change two-thirds of the volume of water from
the breeding tank. Shortly before they become freeswimming, the larvae and the contents of the bowl are
transferred into a 1.8-pint (.85-L) jar. A day after feeding
begins I add a small ramshorn snail to eat dead food
organisms; the snail’s droppings can be removed relative-
Females almost always have colorless, transparent dorsal,
caudal, and anal fins.
It is best to buy Licorice Gouramis as tank-breds
directly from a good breeder, as then you will be sure to
obtain healthy, vital individuals, often from a guaranteed
location, with the correct species name. They also will
have been kept in the right water and fed with the right
live food.
If you don’t know such a breeder, then go to the auctions held by your local labyrinthfish association. But the
best course is membership (free) in the
Parosphromenus Project and an email to
distribution@parosphromenus-project
.org. The project is currently developing a distribution service to help new
Licorice Gourami fans obtain fishes. As
a beginner you shouldn’t set your heart
on a particular species right away—that
usually doesn’t work and is also not
particularly sensible.
—Peter Finke
41
Left: Juvenile P. ornaticauda at the age of 10 weeks.
ly easily from the jar by stirring briefly so that they collect
in the middle of the bottom. Every day I top up the jar
by about .40 inch (1 cm) using water from the breeding
aquarium. Two to three weeks after free-swimming I am
able to carefully transfer the fry into an aquarium previously prepared for them.
Rearing using Artemia
The best food for rearing the fry is very freshly hatched
Artemia nauplii, though I initially feed smaller fry with
vinegar eels as well. These have the advantage that they
continue to swim actively for several hours in the water,
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Below: In my fish room, the middle row, with side-by-side 5-gallon
(20-L) tanks, is mainly reserved for Licorice Gouramis. The setup
for breeding these fishes is Spartan—the aquarium contains only a
filter weighed down by a piece of slate and two homemade pottery
caves. A close-fitting cover glass is important.
even in the acid environment, while microworms sink to
the bottom and die more rapidly. Other food organisms
of suitable size should be added to the diet as soon as possible. Subsequent rearing usually presents no problems.
Depending on the species, young fishes reach sexual
maturity at 9 to 12 months old. Parosphromenus can
sometimes live to be relatively old—my records show that
my oldest tank-bred female from the F2 generation of
Parosphromenus deissneri attained an age of about nine
years and five months—but are then of only very limited
use for breeding. In my experience the optimal age for
broodstock is between one and three years old.
Licorice Gouramis are gorgeous and very interesting pets, but certainly not suitable for every aquarist. A
certain amount of experience is required, as well as the
ability to provide the correct water parameters and live
foods of the right size. The maintenance and breeding of
these fishes places demands on the aquarist, but they are
generally achievable. Breeding, including for several generations, is readily possible in the case of many species,
and invariably fascinating.
I have tried to share some of my experiences during 25 years of keeping and breeding Parosphromenus.
My breeding records (which I recommend that everyone
keep) show, for example, that in the space of two years
I documented 96 spawnings (35 of which successfully
produced fry) of nine different species and forms. In another year I had a total of 146 spawnings from 19 pairs.
However, I must warn everyone who is interested in Licorice Gouramis after reading this article: Beware! the Paro
virus is quick to strike—but it’s well worth it.
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42
43
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The Parosphromenus Project:
a global conservation network
by Peter Finke • Despite all the taxonomic difficulties, the genus Parosphromenus, with 18
recognized species and an additional 20–40 local variants (and even more to follow), is still
easy to overview. And despite all the diversity and publicity, one thing can be agreed upon:
the existence of the entire genus is seriously endangered. It is thus a prime example of the
need for well-organized conservation activity in the aquarium hobby. But there are two
major hurdles to be surmounted: these colorful little fishes will eat only live food, and they
obligatorily require extremely soft, acid water with a low bacteria count.
44
Unfortunately, conservation activity in the aquarium hobby is often based on a number of illusions, if it is
practiced at all. Some people believe that the fishes we breed can be reintroduced into the wild—a false hope
Michael Lo
Experiences so far
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The days of the vast majority of the blackwater jungle swamps,
streams, and upland bogs of Malaysia and Indonesia are numbered.
Since 1960, large areas of primary forest have been falling victim to
Top right: This is what
the majority of Licorice
chainsaws and burning, initially in western Malaysia, then on the maGourami biotopes used
jor islands, such as Sumatra, and currently in Kalimantan (Borneo)
to look like. This still
and Sarawak. The lowland wetlands are being drained to make way for
unspoiled biotope of P.
plantations (oil palms and tropical woods), the blackwaters are being
anjunganensis is in the
channeled away in the direction of the sea, and even the hilly regions
drainage of the River
Kapuas, Kalimantan
are increasingly subject to destruction and drainage.
Barat. It’s hard work
The indigenous peoples have long since realized what immense
collecting in the jungle!
destruction is taking place in their homelands. But they are powerless in comparison to the powers in charge of the development. The
orangutan is put forward as a symbol of the wildlife conservation
that is taking place, but the success is very patchy. The formerly rich
Bottom right: This is
how the destruction
biodiversity of this hotspot on our planet is disappearing—and with it,
begins. The former bed
totally unremarked by most people, numerous small fishes such as the
of a jungle stream has
truly gorgeous Licorice Gouramis.
become a makeshift
This was all foreseeable in 2005, when, with the unstinting help of
track for four-wheelMartin Hallmann, I founded the “Paro-AG” (the nucleus of the curdrive vehicles, which are
used to open up further
rent Parosphromenus Project) in the IGL (International Labyrinthfish
access.
Association); our chief motivation was to do something to counter
the destruction. For decades, aquarists and their organizations have
neglected to get involved in any attempt to make the hobby conscious
of its political dimension and take action on that level. It was clear to us right from the start that the
most important task—making an effective contribution to saving original habitats—was going to be very
difficult. We felt powerless in the face of the concentrated economic might of international concerns at
work in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, we are doing what we can; he who fails to take the first small step
will never be able to do anything more far-reaching later.
45
Far left: Islands
of clear-cutting
appear in the
primary forest.
First the trees are
felled and taken
away, and then
the remaining
vegetation is
destroyed.
46
but this operated almost exclusively in German and was
inaccessible to many who might have been interested.
By limiting it to the central European sphere of activity where it was founded, we hampered the growth of a
project that we now realize must be active globally and in
multiple languages.
Compared to many similar endeavors, we were
relatively well organized even back then, but not well
enough. Most people who go to the effort of initiating
conservation programs talk a lot about maintenance
conditions, methods, and stud books, but too little about
networking, organization, communication, and management. We, too, initially underestimated the importance
of those elements, but those were years of learning and
development, and we did achieve valuable initial successes and gather experience that stood us in good stead
during the reorganization of the project in 2010.
scene in Japan. In 2012 the project homepage will be accessible even in Chinese (Simplified Chinese).
The one-man organization has now become the steering group, a team of people with separate roles who meet
twice a year and remain in close communication the rest
of the time. An international advisory board of wellknown experts has been appointed to advise the steering group. Its members come from Germany, England,
France, the U.S., Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Cooperation with other interested parties is important. We approached every expert and those with a
serious interest right from the start, whether or not he or
she was a member of the IGL. Nevertheless, the link with
the IGL proved an impediment that had to be eliminated
during the professionalization of the project.
The German Paro-AG, now headed by Martin Hallmann, remains the nucleus, but other organizations in
Europe, including the European Anabantoid Club (AKL/
EAC), the Anabantoid Association of Great Britain
(AAGB), the Verband Deutscher Vereine für Aquarienund Terrarienkunde e.V. (VDA, the association of German aquarium clubs), and the European Aquarium and
A new beginning
The current activities of the Parosphromenus Project are
twofold: the preparation of truly reliable information and
practical networking, both on a global level. In 2011, using private donations from Licorice Gourami enthusiasts,
we established a large, advertisement-free, trilingual (German, English, and French) website for the Parosphromenus
Project, accessible at www.parosphromenus-project.org.
Two older important instruments of the project
have also been integrated into the website: the regular
newsletter, now available in three languages via a global
distributor from some 250 addresses in 17 countries, as
well as the census that has taken place every six months
in spring and autumn since 2005, and thus provides a
Right, top: Nowadays the surviving Parosphromenus biotopes
often look like this one in western Malaysia: no longer any jungle,
a dead, straight track with a roadside ditch and oil palms on the
other side. The blackwater organisms have vanished or been
driven to the edge of existence as a result of the intensive human
activity.
Christian Hinz
A serious conservation network has a chance of success
only if it can involve professionally organized projects
across the globe. My experience with the organization
of international research groups proved useful here. The
Internet is a real blessing when it comes to this sort of
thing; it requires little material expense, albeit a heavy
expenditure of time, to establish virtual links across
international and intercontinental boundaries.
Although we started in Germany, the potential for
real growth lies in the Scandinavian countries, in the
U.S., and in Asia, where many of the fishes originate. So
English and French are now the main languages of the
project. Linguists and translators are important members
of our staff. Japanese still presents problems, but that
will have to change, as there is a strong Licorice Gourami
Michael Lo
(or a show of ignorance) for all sorts of reasons. Others believe that they can achieve something significant
working alone or with a few friends from a club—also an
illusion. Or they think that a few years’ effort can make
a substantial contribution to the future. Sadly, conservation is often little more than a passing interest for many
aquarists.
But the real problem is one of much greater dimensions. In light of what we know now, we were comparatively ignorant and naïve when we started back in 2005.
In our first years we have attempted to avoid making
certain major mistakes, though in so doing we have made
other ones.
One such mistake was believing that problems obtaining stock, experienced by many aquarists who would
have liked to work with us, were none of our concern.
We got a large number of inquiries along the lines of,
“How can I get hold of some Licorice Gouramis?” We
passed on a few addresses, but otherwise replied, “Unfortunately, not from us. We aren’t responsible for distributing Licorice Gouramis, we’re just trying to organize their
conservation. Setting up a supply line would overstretch
us.” Even though that was true, it was nevertheless a
mistake. Large numbers of young fishes were sometimes
available, but in spite of that a lot of people who were
really interested gave up in disappointment because they
couldn’t obtain stock.
Another mistake we made was underestimating the
general information deficit regarding Licorice Gouramis.
Nowadays there is more aquarium literature available
even on killifishes and L-number catfishes than there is
on Parosphromenus species. We could have made a lot
of information available via our newly founded ParoForum, which by now has had well over a million hits,
Current activities
Bottom: Can Licorice Gouramis still be found here? Maybe, if
the soil still has an adequate peat content and springs still rise in
the islands of remaining jungle. But the habitat (here in western
Malaysia) is by and large suboptimal.
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Left: After a
downpour the
cleared area
looks like this: a
planting bed for
the oil palms that
seal the fate of the
former swampy
jungle and its
rich, specialized
flora and fauna.
Terrarium Association (EATA), are now equal partners
and the resources of all the organizations are shared.
Major museums, such as the Natural History Museum in
London and the Raffles Museum in Singapore, are now
cooperating institutions. The same applies to a number
of research organizations, such as the Fish-BOL group in
Guelph, Canada.
We don’t run the Paro Project on anyone’s behalf or
under the auspices of any organization or sponsor, but as
an independent network of people whose sole agenda is
Licorice Gouramis.
47
very detailed picture of the aquarium populations of what
are now more than 50 different Parosphromenus forms, a
critical evaluation of trends, and information on who has
which species. Moreover, the website includes an innovative open forum for information from and communication with interested outsiders. This forum is designed to
be free of linguistic constraints. Anyone can use the language of his or her choice, though English predominates.
We have set up four sections: three major regional
sections for Asian, European, and American users, where
they can express their very different perspectives, and a
global section where we can talk about Licorice Gouramis
and their problems independent of these regions. Additional special features of the new website are interactive
land maps, allowing the user to zoom in on the home
territory of the fishes via Google Maps, multiple links to
the literature and other websites, and regularly updated
news from the world of the Licorice Gourami hobby.
Because it is the best way to spread the word about
the possible impending extinction of these fishes, our
most important current activities are being played out in
the field of networking. There are two elements that will
determine success or failure. First, enlisting additional
aquarium enthusiast friends of these fishes who are willing to try breeding them, and second, the onerous but
absolutely essential task of bringing influence to bear on
the authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia, in order to
effect a change of heart there.
who won’t be deterred by the water and food problems
of getting involved in conservation breeding, because
they would like to add a sense of purpose to their hobby.
Many young people feel attracted by precisely this motive. Reducing the burden on the still-too-small number
of breeders, so that instead of the current two to five
species/forms per breeder, in future there are two to
five breeders to a single species/form, is a sensible goal
and one that is attainable on an international scale. To
achieve this we will need to organize exchanges of fishes,
and in addition we don’t want to sever all links with
the trade.
Ending the habitat destruction in the countries of
origin is much more difficult to organize. We are working in three directions here: we are trying to forge links
with conservation organizations that are already active
on the spot; we are eagerly seizing upon every hint that
Involving the hobby
Licorice Gouramis are not fishes for the mass market,
and they won’t and shouldn’t become such. But we are
convinced that among the hundreds of thousands of
aquarists all over the world, there must be a few hundred
the indigenous populations are wise to the damage that
their governments, regional authorities, and locally active concerns are causing; and we are establishing links
with everyday life in the industrialized western world and
demonstrating that we aquarists are playing a part in the
destruction by purchasing palm-oil products or tropical
woods. We also need to criticize the oft-lauded plantation agriculture. Only if our awareness of our own involvement in the destruction becomes sharper and more
precise can we expect to influence people living on the
spot, and through them the landscape itself. Even if this
comes to pass too late for many Parosphromenus species,
the aquarium hobby cannot simply sit back and wait for
the news of their demise. We must make an active contribution to the necessary changes. We are involved.
Below: The central part of the author’s Parosphromenus setup.
Licorice Gourami Information and Livestock Suppliers
Information
The Parosphromenus Project
www.parosphromenus-project.org/en.html
Distribution hotline:
distribution@parosphromenus-project.org
Anabantoid Association of Great Britain (AAGB)
www.aagb.org/
48
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish
Anthony Perry
Portland, Oregon
www.wetspottropicalfish.com
Exotic Aquatics
Michael Hellweg
St. Louis, Missouri
www.minifins.com
Invertebrates by Msjinkzd
Rachel O’Leary
York, Pennsylvania
http://msjinkzd.com
Anubias Design
Mark Denaro
Indianapolis, Indiana
anubiasdesign@yahoo.com
The Fish Hut
Lanarkshire, Scotland
http://www.thefishhut.co.uk/
Tropical Fish Importers & Exporters
London, England (wholesale only)
http://www.tfie.co.uk/
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American Labyrinth Fish Association (ALFA)
www.anabantoid.org (Coming soon.)
Livestock
Peter Finke
Unless you have access to an exceptional aquarium
shop, or a dealer willing and able to special-order
Parosphromenus spp., finding Licorice Gouramis may
require a bit of research.
The Parosphromenus Project has an active coordinator who can connect would-be Licorice Gourami
buyers with private breeders and dealers known to
import these fishes from time to time. Contact is easily made by email.
Beginners may have to be flexible about the species they acquire, as availability varies greatly.
49
“Wow!”
AMAZONAS
Volume 1, Number 6
November/December 2012
Use the convenient reply card in this issue, or subscribe online:
www.AmazonasMagazine.com
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Become a charter subscriber to amazonas
and don’t miss a single issue!
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